Emergency Bicycle Repair

Many years ago, I was caught miles away from home when my racing tire blew. I didn't have the tools or patches to fix the tube and I had to walk for almost 2 miles before a very nice motorist stopped and gave me a lift the rest of the way home. I had already experienced a few blown tires in my youth, but none so far away from home. I was determined that I would never be unprepared again.

Most people make mistakes when they head out on long trips with their bicycles, not accounting for emergency bicycle repair. Riders often leave home without some essentials, such as a good patch kit, tools and a good lubricant. Armed with these simple tools, a disaster on the road can be averted and you can avoid being stranded.

The first item in your emergency bicycle repair kit is a good patching system for a flat tire. Most flat tires are not dramatic blowouts, but are slow leaks that occur on the road. Make sure you always head out on your bicycle equipped with a patching kit. This should include rubber patches, rubber cement glue, a scraper to remove any excess debris from the small tear, and a tire pump to pump air back into the tire. A good patching kit could make the difference between riding home for a replacement tire and walking back with your bike on your back.

Also good to have with you for long trips are a ratchet and a wrench. Gears can become difficult, and a loose axle can come apart mid-trip when you least expect it. When these parts come loose, it becomes nearly impossible to continue riding your bike, and walking while carrying the useless frame becomes inevitable. Better yet, make sure these parts are in good working order before you make your trip, and carry a repair kit with you in the event that there's a problem while you're on the road.

Finally, indispensable for any quick repair on the road is a good lubricant. A small spray can of oil can be a life saver. Specifically, silicone spray is the best for both lubricating parts and preserving them. A generous application around the gear shifters, the crankshaft, and the gear chain is always a smart finishing touch after you've made other repairs. An application of a good lubricant can even keep a less than ideal repair together until you get somewhere you can do a full repair.

That should do it for an emergency bicycle repair. Make sure you have a rubber patch kit, a pump, a ratchet, a wrench, and a good lubricant for any quick bike repair. Now get out there a experience the road on two wheels.